1. Field of the Invention
The device of this invention resides in the area of sutures and fasteners for closing the two sides of an incision or cut in human skin or other body tissue and more particularly relates to a device having a central body member from which extend a plurality of lateral members with skin retention means, such as multiple barb members formed thereon or adhesive, which lateral members are pulled laterally into the two sides of a cut or incision to join the two sides of the cut together around the central body member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sutures for closing incisions or wounds are well known in the prior art. Such sutures or ligatures are often attached to the shank end of a needle and are utilized by physicians to make stitches to close incisions or wounds so that they may heal. Sutures are formed not only of threadlike material, but are also available as a one-piece unit combined with a needle. Sutures are available in a wide variety of monofilament and braided suture material. Sutures can be formed of non-absorbable material such as cat gut, silk, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, linen, or cotton as well as bioabsorbable synthetic material such as polymers and copolymers of glycolic and lactic acid. Germicides can also be incorporated into the structure or sutures which can be retained by the suture substrate to provide long-lasting germicidal properties.
Also known in the prior art are fasteners which eliminate the need for sutures in many instances. These fasteners are commonly referred to as "staples" and are useful in joining tissue layers laterally, for example, closing wounds in skin or fascia. Such staples are dispensed by implanting devices loaded with such surgical fasteners, the use of which devices can accomplish in very short time what would take many minutes to perform by suturing. Some staples can be made of bioabsorbable materials. The use of such fasteners results in a significantly reduced loss of blood and also lowers the level of trauma to the patient. Such staples can be in the form of metal staples which have arms bent by the fastening device to hook the separated body tissue together. Staples can require the stapling apparatus to have an anvil member which must be positioned under the tissue to be stapled so that the arms of the staple can be bent inwards. Two-part fastening devices also have been used which incorporate a barbed staple, the arms of which are attached to a bottom retaining member. One drawback to employing staples requiring that a retainer member be attached to it is that there must be means for positioning such retainer member under the body tissue to be joined, and one must have access to the body tissue both from above and below the body tissue. Metal staples applied to the body must also be removed by staple extractors.
Other types of surgical fasteners include skin tacks which are used to join two sides of an incision. Such skin tacks include a barbed tip on each end of the inverted U-shaped tack, the body of which is transversely positioned across an incision or cut and the tack applied so that the barbed tips engage straight downward into the skin to hold each side of the adjacent layers of body tissue together. More recently "zippers" have been applied on each side of an incision which allow for reopening, if desired.
Applicant has invented a suture assembly having a central body member with a plurality of elongated lateral members extending from the central body member from each side thereof, each such lateral member having a plurality of barbs thereon to retain the lateral members securely in the body tissue, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,747. Applicant further developed a method of lateral member insertion utilizing shaft-like, removable insertion members which can push each lateral member into position in the tissue and which insertion member can then be removed, as described in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,859.